Fothergill's Dahlia Dwarf Double Mixed Seeds

Details:

• Botanical Name: Dahlia x hortensis, a premium, highly uniform colour-selected dwarf selection within the genus.
• Plant Class: Half Hardy Perennial, growing rapidly from an early spring sowing to flower heavily in its very first year, while developing underground tubers that can be stored and replanted year after year.
• Weather-Resilient Double Blooms: Bears a prolific abundance of beautifully structured, mainly fully double flowers. These multi-petalled blooms are exceptionally tough, holding their form and vibrant colour remarkably well through both summer downpours and scorching heatwaves.
• Brilliant Kaleidoscope Palette: Delivers a breathtakingly diverse colour mix, showcasing rich shades of velvet red, hot pink, sunny yellow, crisp white, glowing orange, and deep purple.
• Neat Compact Growth Habit: Naturally forms a tidy, self-supporting, mound-shaped bush framework reaching a highly controlled mature height of 60cm (24in). Its compact nature means it requires absolutely no staking, making it an elite choice for front-of-border drifts, bedding schemes, or mixed patio containers.
• Pollinator Friendly: The bright, sunny flower heads act as an excellent natural fuel source, drawing honeybees, bumblebees, and butterflies into your garden all summer long.
• Long-Lasting Cut Flower: Features strong, sturdy stems and exceptionally durable blooms, making this an excellent selection for cutting and creating colourful, compact home floral arrangements.

Care Instructions:

• Sowing Position: Start seeds indoors from February to April by sowing on the surface of good quality, moist seed compost in pots or trays. Lightly cover the seeds with a thin layer of vermiculite or compost. Maintain a warm, consistent indoor temperature of 15–20°C for rapid germination. Position in full sun.
• Planting Out & Spacing: Once seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots. Grow them on in cooler but frost-free conditions, hardening them off gradually before planting out into their final garden positions in late May or June, once all risk of spring frost has safely passed. Space plants roughly 30–40cm apart.
• Moisture & Nutrition: Dahlias are hungry plants that thrive in rich, fertile, well-drained soil. Incorporate plenty of organic matter or well-rotted manure into the planting area. Water deeply and regularly, especially during dry summer spells, and feed weekly with a high-potash liquid fertilizer once the first flower buds begin to form.
• Deadheading & Maintenance: Pinch out the growing tips of young plants early on to encourage an even bushier habit with more flowers. Deadhead faded blooms regularly to stimulate a non-stop succession of fresh flowers. After the first sharp autumn frost blackens the foliage, the underground tubers can be lifted and stored in a cool, dry, frost-free shed to replant the following spring.